MANAGEMENT OF FUNGAL KERATITIS WITH TOPICAL VORICONAZOLE ALONE

Abstract

Objective: To determine the role of topical Voriconazole alone in fungal keratitis management

Study Design: Quasi experimental study.

Place and Duration of Study: Armed Forces Institute of Ophthalmology, Rawalpindi, Pakistan, from January 2024 to Dec 2024.

Methodology: This research was designed as a quasi experimental study without random allocation of participants. Forty-two patients participated in the study, which was further divided into Group I and II. Group I included twenty-one participants who received Voriconazole injection (intra-stromal) plus Voriconazole eye drops topically and Group II included twenty-one participants who received Voriconazole eye drops topically without intra-stromal injection.

Results: Group I had a slightly lower mean age than Group II, with a significant difference, while gender distribution was similar in both groups. Rural residence was significantly more common in Group I, whereas most participants in Group II were from urban areas. A history of trauma was significantly higher in Group I, and contact lens use was more frequent in this group but did not reach statistical significance. Microbiological findings, including Aspergillus and Candida species, showed no significant differences between the groups. Healing occurred significantly more often in Group I compared to Group II, while treatment failure rates and duration of healing were similar in both groups.

Conclusion: Topical Voriconazole may be beneficial for treating resistant fungal keratitis. Incorporating intra-stromal injection with topical drops may accelerate the resolution.